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PUBLIC OPEN SPACES AND QUALITY OF LIFE: EVIDENCE
FROM THE WHOQOL-BREF PROTOCOL"
ESPACOS LIVRES PUBLICOS € QUALIDADE DE VIDA: EVIDENCIAS
DO PROTOCOLO WHOQOL-BREF
EDUARDA BOTTI BERALDO, ANA CLARA CARVALHO TOURINHO, SABRINA ANDRADE BARBOSA,
‘SAMUEL RODRIGUES CASTRO, KLAUS CHAVES ALBERTO
ABSTRACT
In the last decades, rapid urbanization has reduced
urban green areas and public open spaces,
influencing the health and quality of life of the
population, This study analyses the influence of living
nearby squares on the perception of quality of life.
By using the WHOQOL-BREF Protocol, the quality
of life of residents living within two radiuses from
two squares located in different neighbourhoods
in Brazil were compared. The results have been
discussed based on the interviewees’ characteristics
and the Public Open Space physical attributes.
The results indicated that living close to the urban
squares can have positive impacts on quality of life.
KEYWORDS: Health. Questionnaire. Statistical analysis. Urban
squares.
1. &
RESUMO
Nas ltimas décades, a répida urbanizacio reduziu
as dreas verdes urbanas e os Espacos Livres Pablicos,
influenciando na satide e na qualidade de vida da
populagio. Este estudo analisa a influéncia de morar
proximo a pracas na percepsaio da qualidade de vida
Utilizando 0 Protocolo WHOQOL-BREF, a qualidade
de vida dos residentes que vivem em dois raios foi
comparada em duas pracas localizadas em diferentes
bairros no Brasil Os resultados foram discutidos com
basenas caracteristias dos entrevistados ens atributos
fisicos dos Espagos Livre Publicos. Os resultados
indicaram que morar préximo &s pracas urbanas pode
ter impactos positivos na qualidade de vida
PALAVRAS- CHAVE: Saide, Anise estatcta. Questionérlo, Pragas
urbana.
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INTRODUCTION
IN THE LAST DECADES, rapid urbanization has directly interfered in the cities,
resulting in the reduction of urban green spaces, and growing environmental
problems (SALAZAR; RICHARD; DICLEMENTE, 2015). According to the United
Nations Organization (2018), in 2018 all countries of Latin America and the
Caribbean with more than 2 million inhabitants were more than 50% urban.
Brazil's total population remained the largest in the region and it is estimated
that 87% of the 211 million people in 2018 resided in urban settlements
(UNITED NATIONS, 2018). In this context, in recent years there has been an
increase in debates and studies on the relationship between the quality of life
and the Public Open Space (POS) (CHAN, 2017; WAI; NITIVATTANANON; KIM,
2018; BENITA; BANSAL; TUNGER, 2019; ZHANG et al., 2019). The Healthy
City guidelines (WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, 2022, online) define it as,
"[.] A healthy city is one that continually creates and improves its physical
and social environments and expands the community resources that enable
people to mutually support each other in performing all the functions of life
and developing to their maximum potential’. Thus, urban planning and design
have a fundamental role in the promotion of good cities and the quality of life
of the population
In this regard, several studies have indicated the beneficial impacts of
the use of POS in improving mental health (LIU et al., 2017a, 2017b; RUGEL
et al., 2017; WARD THOMPSON et al., 2016) and in the reduction of chronic
diseases like cardiovascular (COLOM et al., 2018) and obesity (CARROLL et a,
2020). Some studies also pointed out that the quality of the urban spaces
is positively related to the quality of life of residents (JANSEN et al, 2017;
BENITA; BANSAL; TUNCER, 2019).
Several studies have identified different benefits that the use of POS
provide to people's life. Kemperman and Timmermans (2014) indicated that
green spaces in the urban environment can provide a meeting point and support
social contacts. Such spaces are also related to less sedentary behaviour, as
they encourage the practice of physical (CLELAND et al, 2019; CRANNEY et a,
2016; FLORINDO et al., 2017; HOFFIMANN; BARROS; RIBEIRO, 2017; JANSEN
et al., 2017; PHAM et al., 2019; SILVA et al, 2018; VAN HECKE et al., 2018;
VEITCH et al., 2019) and recreational activities (GILES-CORTI et al, 2013)
Other positive effects of using the POS are the contact with nature (CHAN,
2017; EKKEL; DE VRIES, 2017; HOFFIMANN; BARROS; RIBEIRO, 2017),
the construction of social identity among young people (PHAM et al., 2019), the
noise reduction (DZHAMBOV; DIMITROVA, 2015) and the promotion of a sense
of security (VAN HECKE et al., 2018).
However, the impact of the use of urban spaces on the perception of the
quality of life is still alittle explored topic in comparison to studies dealing with
chronic diseases (CARROLL et al., 2020; WAN; SHEN; CHOI, 2020; XIE et al,
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2018) and general health habits (HOOPER et al., 2020; MORAN et al., 2020;
TUetal., 2020). In addition, studies are often related to public parks (YUEN et
al., 2019; ZHANG et al., 2019) and green areas (AMBREY, 2016; CHAN, 2017),
although smaller POS, such as urban squares, are frequently better distributed in
the urban environment, being more accessible to the population. Furthermore,
studies are stil inconclusive in indicating to what extent the distance from the
POS to the house influences people's quality of life. Thus, this study aims to
statistically analyse the influence of living nearby squares on the resident's
perception of their quality of life. For this, this study was carried out with close
residents of two squares located in different neighbourhoods of Juiz de Fora
(Grazil). The World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) protacol,
which assesses the individual's perception of quality of life, has been applied
to citizens living within two radiuses from each square: one up to 500m and
another between 500 to 1000m, The data were statistically evaluated, and the
results have been discussed based on the interviewees’ characteristics — such
as gender, age, income and educational evel -, and the POS physical attributes
‘STUDIES ON THE POS USAGE AND PEOPLE'S QUALITY OF LIFE
The proximity of people's homes to the POS may interfere with their daily
activities and, consequently, their quality of life (WAl; NITIVATTANANON; KIM,
2018). The European Environment Agency (EEA) recommends that residents
should have access to green spaces within a 15-minute walk of their residence
(STANNERS; BOURDEAU, 1995), while Lynch (2007) adds that travel times
below 20 minutes are unquestionably good to access the POS. Easy and safe
access to open spaces seems to be especially important for the quality of social
life of the elderly (ZHANG et al., 2019), for the feeling of happiness among
young people (BENITA; BANSAL; TUNCER, 2019) and to stimulate physical
activity among children (ALMANZA et al., 2012).
Through the application of questionnaires, Lu et al. (2018) assessed
the time spent by 999 students on computers in China. The study concluded
that, among other factors such as socio-cultural systems and economic
levels, students with access to other recreational and leisure activities in the
neighbourhood spend less time on the Intemet and, consequently, have
fewer depressive symptoms. The application of questionnaires was also the
method used by Nasution and Zarah (2014) applied to 384 practitioners of
physical activities in four POS in Indonesia. The study indicated that 86% of
the respondents believe that open spaces positively affect their physical and
psychological health.
‘The type of activity performed in the POS is related not only to the age of
the neighbourhood residents but also to the typology and dimensions of such
spaces. Extensive POS (greater than 7ha) is associated with vigorous activities
such as walking, running and cycling (JANSEN et al., 2017). On the other hand,
while linear parks are mostly used for intense physical activities, natural parks are
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associated with their environmental benefits and community parks are related to
‘the advantages of social interaction (BROWN; RHODES; DADE, 2018). According
‘to Sugiyama et al. (2014), the presence of POS alone may not be enough to
facilitate the physical activities of the residents and may require certain urban
equipment for this purpose. According to Hills, Farpour-Lambert and Byrne
(2019), quantitative evidence confirmed a positive association between the
presence of trails, playgrounds and specific types of sports fields with public
visitation in open spaces. Another urban feature indicated by Sugyama et al
(2014) and Veitch et al. (2019) was the presence of areas for dogs.
By using the WHOQOL-BREF Protocol, Zhang et al. (2019) evaluated
the effects of the physical attributes of urban parks and green spaces on the
quality of life of an elderly community in Hong Kong, The tool was applied toa
‘sample of 909 residents of areas within a 400 to 800m radius of the parks. They
found out that neighbourhoods of medium to high density, well-ordered and
with trees can significantly contribute to the people's social and environmental
quality of life and appear to be particularly important for those who live alone.
Using the same tool, the study carried out by Yuen et al. (2019) sought to
understand how green spaces and the accessibility of POS in compact urban
areas affect the physical activity and healthy eating habits of residents in China,
Along with the IPAQ? tool, data were collected from 55é participants living in
anarea within 500m of the parks. Results indicated that older residents usually
use parks and sidewalks while sports facilities are preferable among younger
people. Thus, the promotion of physical exercise and health can be achieved
through urban designs that include POS accessible to different aging groups.
Through the application of questionnaires based on new informational
technologies, suchas Twitter and Flickr, Brindley et al. (2019) indicated to what
extent health levels were associated with the quality of green spaces in England.
The study included 345 people and was carried out in 850 green areas. The
authors concluded that the lack of cleanliness in such spaces produces feelings
of discomfort and insecurity, discouraging their use and inhibiting their benefits
related to the promotion of well-being. Additionally, in order to identify the
importance of green spaces by users, Ives et al. (2017) evaluated 323 green
areas from the application of the PPGIS? tool and interviews with 418 Australian
participants. The results indicated that the POS has positive values such as
aesthetics, social interaction, and cultural significance and negative aspects,
such as noise and danger, that influence the quality of life of users.
Differently, Bahrini, Bell and Mokhtarzadeh (2017) used spatial syntax
as a method for analysing the location, quality and quantity of POS in the
urban spaces in Tehran, Iran. Based on the evaluation of 16 spaces, the
study indicated that the availability of parks does not follow the population's
sociodemographic character. The authors identified the presence of large
forest parks and non-recreational land in mountainous and cold areas and
parks located in the city centre with low levels of maintenance. Thus, they
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concluded that the use of such spaces is limited, giving a false image of the
POS availability to the population.
Most of the studies that investigate the influence of POS on people's
quality of life were carried out in developed countries (COMSTOCK et al., 2010;
KEMPERMAN; TIMMERMANS, 2014). However, with few exceptions (GOMEZ,
et al., 2005; HALLAL et al., 2010) Latin America is still a little studied region,
although it has great vulnerability due to its level of urbanization and high
social inequalities between and within cities (VEREINTE, 2013), a deficit and
uneven distribution of urban green space (RIGOLON et al., 2018) and high crime
rates (SREETHERAN; VAN DEN BOSCH, 2014). In addition, several types and
dimensions of POS have been studied in researches that address the perception
of quality of life. However, studies that have considered urban squares are
still uncommon. Those spaces have a strong presence in Brazilian cities and
due to their small size, in comparison to parks, they are well distributed in the
urban environment, being spaces with a greater impact on people's daily lives
Besides that, most current studies have focused on the connections between
POS usage and chronic diseases or general health habits. Thus, there are still
few studies that assessed the influence of living nearby the POS on people's
perception of quality of life. Although questionnaires have been used in several
related studies, the WHOQOL protocol, commonly used in the health-related
research field, has been little explored in studies that consider urban planning
for health promotion
METHODOLOGICAL PROCEDURES
In this study, the perception of the quality of life of residents living close
to two squares in the city of Juiz de Fora, Brazil, was assessed through the
application of the WHOQOL-BREF protocol. The sample included residents
living within two different radiuses from the centre of the squares: up to SOOm
and between 500 to 1000m. The results were evaluated and contrasted with
the physical attributes of each POS. This item presents the WHOQOL protocol,
the selection and characterization criteria of the urban squares analysed, the
definition of the radiuses considered, the number of respondents and the
applied statistical analyses.
THE WHOQOL PROTOCOL
In 1993, the World Health Organization (WHO) defined an international
instrument called WHOQOL (World Health Organization Quality of Life)
‘to compare the quality of life between cultures. It assesses the individual’s
perceptions in the context of their culture and value systems, goals, patterns,
and personal concerns. The instrument has been extensively field tested. The
purpose of the tool is to determine the individual's perception of quality of life
from the following initial question: "How do you feel about your quality of life,
health and other areas?” (WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, 1996)
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The WHOQOL-100 consists of an assessment based on 100 questions
that produce @ multidimensional profile of scores between domains and
subdomains (facets) that define the quality of life. An abbreviated version, the
WHOQOL-bref, has therefore been developed to provide a short assessment
that looks at the domain level profiles (WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, 1996).
WHOQOL-100 and WHOQOL-BREF have many uses, including use in medical
practice, research, auditing, policy making, and assessment of the effectiveness
and merits of different treatments. They can also be used to assess variation in
the quality of life across different cultures, compare subgroups within the same
culture, and measure change over time in response to changing circumstances
in life (WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, 1998). WHOQOL is, therefore, an
assessment of a multidimensional concept that incorporates the individual's
perception of health status, psychosocial status, and other aspects of life.
‘The WHOQOL-BREF consists of 26 questions, in which questions 1 and
2 deal with personal assessment in relation to the quality of life and health
nd
“How satisfied are you with your health?”. In addition, the questionnaire has
another 24 questions that are divided into four categories of domains: Physical,
Psychological, Social Relations and Environment. The questions included in the
different domains are presented in Table 1. The table also presents the order of
the questions asked according to the protocols recommendations.
based on the following questions: "How do you assess your quality of life?’
TABLE 1 Physical attributes ofthe urban squares analysed,
area 1.27389 m? 4938,90 me
Population donsity of the Immediate neighbourhood 2 14598
Neighbourhood average income R$ 4,131.00 R$ 2,580.00
Percentage of green area in relation to the total square area 60% 30%
Piayground y v
‘Gym equipment y -
soccer court -
Area for dogs y
biking trait, y -
Food or similar kiosks v -
Benches (near meter) ‘54m (0,005m/m2) ‘46m (0,009 /m2)
‘Area of landscape treatment* 20% 80%
Signs of abandonment - -
Presence of homeless People - y
Number of roads around 3 3
‘square shape Rectangle ‘Tangle
* Anistic creation with natural elements in order to promote the integration of man with nature in an aesthetic and functional way.
Source: Elaborated by the author (2021)
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The protocol uses the Likert scale from 1 to 5 points, in which: (1)
means very dissatisfied and (5) is used for very satisfied. Questions 3, 4 and
26 are reversed, that is, 1 has a positive perception and 5 has a negative
perception. Results are given per domain and per question using arithmetic
mean for each data set. The final result is given by indicators related to the
quality of life, in which results from 1 to 2.9 indicate that it needs to improve;
between 3 and 3.9 indicate regular; from 4 to 4.9 is good and values equal to
5, represent very good. Domain scores for the WHOQOL-BREF are calculated
by taking the mean of all items included in each domain and multiplying by
a factor of four, then all domains are added together to obtain a final score.
These scores are then transformed to a 0-100 scale for comparison with
WHOQOL 100.
URBAN SQUARES SELECTION AND CHARACTERIZATION
This study was conducted in Juiz de Fora, which is a Brazilian medium size city
located in the southeast of the state of Minas Gerais. The cityis 1436 km?, with
a population of approximately 500,000 inhabitants. For this study, two squares
placed in neighbourhoods close to the central area of the city were selected:
(1) Poeta Daltemar Lima Square, located in Bom Pastor neighbourhood and (2)
Jarbas de Lery Square located in Sao Mateus neighbourhood (Figure 1).
Brasil Juie de Fora y
+
|
State oF Minas Gerais
Legend:
= Usban perimeter
= municipality
of uie de Fora
battins™ i A
FIGURE 1- City of uiz de Fora localization and Location of squaresin relation tothe central area
Source: Elaborated by the authors (2071)
The squares are easily accessible and located in neighbourhoods with
similar income that ranges from medium to high, according to the Brazilian
Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE, 2010). In addition, they are located
within city blocks, surrounded by public roads. On the other hand, despite
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having a similar number of activity areas, they present different dimensions,
types of activity areas, percentage of green area and landscape treatment, as
can be seen in Table 1. It includes the neighbourhoods and the urban squares’
physical characteristics (SENRA, 2019)
Bom Pastor neighbourhood, where square 1 is located, has a population
of 7,72 inhabitants, which corresponds to 1.3%of the total number of the city,
and 2,768 households. In this neighbourhood, 20.4%bof the population is elderly
(INSTITUTO BRASILEIRO DE GEOGRAFIA E ESTATISTICA, 2010) and residential
Use is predominant, although the area is close to a region that offers trade and
services. Square 1 contains different activity areas for children, adults, and the
elderly, with the presence of a playground, walking trail and gym equipment.
Inaddition, itis located relatively close to the city centre (approximately 2.3km)
and has a public transport stop (Figure 2).
FIGURE 2- Photos and boundary ofradiuses 500 to tocom of Square - Poeta Daltemar Lima,
Source: Elaborated by the authors (2021).
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235288
So Mateus neighbourhood, which contains square 2, is relatively close
tothe city centre (approximately 1.7 km) and is characterized by a wide variety
of shops. The neighbourhood contains a population of 19,582 inhabitants,
which corresponds to 3.8% of the city and 9,425 households (IBGE, 2010)
Around 20% of the population is elderly. Square 2 has an area reserved for dogs
anda playground, in addition to an open court, generally used by young people
The square is bypassed by one of the main avenues of the city, Presidente
Itamar Franco Avenue, and is easily accessible by the public transport network
The square has frequent cultural events that encourage local commerce, such
as craft fairs on weekends (Figure 3).
© 100 250 500m
FIGURE 3- Photos and boundary ofradiuses 500 to 1o00m away from Square 1larbas de Ler.
‘Source: Elaborated by the author (2021)
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DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
The radiuses that included the areas selected for the application of the
WHOQOL-BREF Protocol were determined from the walking distance between
the POS and the most distant residence. The first radius comprises residents
living up to S00m from the squares, who walk between 5 and 15 minutes to
access them and the second includes residents between 500m and 1,000m
from the squares, who walk between 15 to 20 minutes to access them. In each
buffer zone considered and, in each square evaluated, groups of 30 people
were interviewed, totaling a sample of 120 citizens.
The official Portuguese-translated WHOQOL-BREF Protocol was created
on “Google Forms” to facilitate its application to the interviewees, who were
approached on the roads around the squares. In addition to the questions
already determined by the Protocol, questions about the characteristics of the
respondents such as age, gender, income and educational levels were added.
The questionnaires were applied in approximately eight days in each square
in the morning and afternoon, during the months of August, September, and
October of 2019. The collected data were tabulated using Microsoft Excel,
version 2016 (Microsoft, Redmond, USA) and treated in the Statistica Software,
version 8.0 (Tibco, Palo Alto, USA).
For the application of the statistical tests, scores considered in each
domain correspond to the final values, with the results already multiplied by 4,
as indicated in the Protocol guidelines (WHO, 1998). All statistical tests were
performed with a significance level of 5% (0 = 0.05). The aim and the tests
applied are the following:
1) Adherence test using the Kolmogorov-Smimov (KS) test. This
analysis indicated that the p values were lower than the level of significance
(p <0.05), indicating that the data did not follow a normal distribution. This
result supported the selection of non-parametric tests for the subsequent
statistical analysis.
2) Tests of hypotheses for simple comparisons between independent
groups using the Mann-Whitney test (MW). These tests had two objectives:
the first was to compare the Protocol results between the two buffer zones
considered (500m vs. 1000m), and the second was to compare the Protocol
results between the squares (Square 1 vs. Square 2).
3) Multiple comparison tests, using Kruskal Wallis test. This assessment
evaluated the Protocol results according to the characteristics of gender and
age of the interviewees.
4) Spearman test. This test aimed to correlate the Protocol results to the
interviewees’ income level in the different buffers zones and squares.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
This item presents the results of the statistical tests in each buffer zone and
square evaluated. It includes the general results of the WHOQOL-BREF protocol
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and the findings by domain. The implications of these results are discussed in
light of the attributes present in each POS.
‘SAMPLE CHARACTERISTICS AND FREQUENCY
OF USE OF THE SQUARES
Table 3 summarizes the characteristics of the sample collected, which
comprised 60 participants per square. Both samples included the majority
of the interviewees with an income of up to 6,000 reais (Brazilian currency).
However, Square 1 concentrates the largest number of interviewees with an
income above 10,000 reais (30% at 500m and 20% at 1000m). About 80% of
the total respondents are adults (between 18 and 59 years old), while the rest
are elderly (60 years old or more) and, on average, 60% of them are women.
Table 2 also presents the averages obtained from the scores given to the
different domains of the WHOQOL-BREF.
Regarding the frequency of use of the square by the inte
wees,
around 54k of the participants who live in the closest buffer zone of Square
1, visit it between one and seven days of the week; among the most distant
residents, this value drops to approximately 16, as shown in Table 3. On the
ther hand, in Square 2 these values reach 37% and 33% among the residents
of the closest and the further buffer zones, respectively.
Regarding all interviewees, the Protocol results from those that visit the
‘squares from one to seven times a week showed a better quality of life than
those that do not go any day of the week. Among the residents close to Square
1, the users with the highest level of quality of life are those who go between
four and five days a week. In Square 2, on the other hand, the enhanced score
on the quality of life resulted from those who visit it between two and three
times a week.
‘When analyzing the results per radius, in Square 1 although there was no
clear trend between the quality of life and the POS usage frequency among the
closest residents, a better quality of life was positively related to the frequency
of visits to the square among those interviewees living further. In Square 2, on
the other hand, there was also no clear trend in the two buffer zones. But when
analyzing the results from the most distant residents that use the square up to
three times a week, an improvement in the quality of life was noticed.
TABLE2~ Sample characteristics and results ofthe Protocol by domain, 1of2
Adults
elderly
Women
mon
3% 1% 83% 86%
% Bm 7% 14%
57% 63% 63% 10%
43% 30% 37% 3036
In
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TABLE2~ Sample charactoristics and results ofthe Protocol by domain,
Income
‘Up (0 RS3K W% 7% 30% 2%
Up to RS6k 33% 13% 34% 36%
‘Upto Rgrok 1% 3% 3% 14%
ore than RS10k 30% 1% 2% 20%
Not informed 3% 10% 0% 1%
Educational Level
Elementary School 0 1 3 1
‘High school 3 4 2 3B
“university education a 14 u 10
Postgraduate studios 2 a 4 6
WHOGOL Results
Physical Domain v.01 15,56 1534 1544
Psychological Domain 16,08 1587 14,68 35,09
Environmental Domain 1553 14,80 1482 a7
Social Relations Domain 1649 1526 1474 35,80
Self perception 15,40 16,46 1668 15,80
‘Source: Elaborated by the author (2020)
TABLE3 ~ Froquoncy of use of the square.
None 47 83 6333 6767
(ne day per week wv B 20 2333
“Two or three days por wook uv ° ° 333
Four orfve days per week 10 3 o °
Stk or soven days per Wook 20 ° 1667 667
Source: Elaboratod by the author (2020)
GENERAL RESULTS OF WHOQOL-BREF
Figure 4 presents the variability of the data regarding the results of the
Protocol for each of the buffer zones evaluated. The findings indicate that
the quality of life was significantly higher among the residents living close to
‘Square 1 than the other participants. These results reveal a positive association
between living close to the POS and the quality of life of residents, as shown in
other related research in Singapore (BENITA; BANSAL; TUNCER, 2019), Japan
(ZHANG et al., 2019), United Kingdom (BRINDLEY et a, 2019) and Thailand
(ALDERTON et al., 2019), for example.
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FIGURE 4 ~ Bax Plot graph
with genera results of the
WHOQOL-BREF according to
the buffer zones evaluated
inboth squares.
Notes: *in the graph,
‘medians sharing the same
letter showed no significant
differences between them,
Source: flaborated by the
author (2021),
B
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However, in Square 2, there was no significant difference between
the results obtained from the residents of both buffer zones. Although the
‘two squares have equipment that encourages the practice of physical and
recreational activities, Square 1 has a larger area, is in a neighbourhood with
a lower population density and has a higher percentage of green area, Some
studies confirmed that the presence of green areas near people's homes is
related to fewer psychological problems (CHERRIE et al, 2018; LU et al,, 2018;
RUGEL et al., 2017; VEITCH, 2019). Zhang et al. (2019) indicated that medium
to high density and well-ordered neighbourhoods, mixed with green areas,
can significantly contribute to people's social and environmental quality of life
Therefore, the attributes observed in Square 1 have already been observed
{as motivators for the use of the POS, thus being able to influence people's
quality of life
RESULTS OF WHOQOL-BREF BY DOMAIN
In more detail, Figure 5 presents the distribution of the scores calculated for
each domain of the Protocol on the different buffer zones in each square. The
results indicated that the Physical Domain of Square 1 received a significantly
higher value (17.0), indicating that those respondents better assessed their
physical health. A reason for this can be the presence of physical activity
‘equipment and a walking trail in Square 1, absent areas in Square 2. According
to Cranney et al. (2016), the outdoor gym may provide park users with more
opportunities for active recreation, along with social interactions.
On the other hand, the score given to the Environmental Domain of
‘Square 2 was significantly lower than the other domains (14.6), meaning that
those interviewed weakly evaluated the aspects related to the environment in
which they live. This can be related to the poorest environmental conditions
of the space, as it comprises a smaller POS with relatively reduced green area
and is placed in a higher density neighbourhood, aspects already observed
‘uum Ensios | canines | 19 | 2225298 | 2022 OCULUM ENSAIOS
FIGURE 5 ~ Box plot graph
with data distbution of
results ofthe WHOQOL-BREF
domains per square
Source: Flaborated by the
author (2021),
4
8 BERALOO eat | Publ open paces ndqityatife | hep //diorg/ 10 24220/2318-0919¥158
by Bahrini, Bell and Mokhtarzadeh (2017) as restraints for POS usage.
‘Additionally, people living in the closest buffer zone of Square 1 indicated a
numerically higher score for the domain related to social relations than the
other interviewees.
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